Saturday, May 28, 2011

During the week of 24th to 26th May, severe North West winds blew over the Irish coastlines bringing with them a fair scattering of early seabirds and North American waders. Paul Troake and Geoff Pearson ended up doing a bit of seawtching off the Bridges of Ross and were rewarded with the following;

On Saturday 21st May 2011, I received a text from Pearse Ryan, saying he had an unusual wader in the pond at Kilbaha. First impressions, he thought it might have been a Wood Sandpiper or Ruff. I phoned Pearse asking him to describe the bird as Wood Sandpiper is a very rare Spring migrant in Clare, and considering the weather patterns that we had on the lead up to this week, it could possibly be a North American vagrant. Pearse mentioned that the bird was very tame and described the bird to me on the phone. From his description, especially when he mentioned the bright yellow legs, I suggested that it may be a Lesser Legs. At the time PR did not have a camera with him so he returned home, went back to the scene of the crime later in the evening, and got the pictures below. He also sent me on some video and it was clear that the bird was indeed a Lesser Yellowlegs. This is only the 4th Clare record of this wader, all others have turned up in autumn. Congratulations Pearse, Great find.

Monday, May 16, 2011

I was back at the Loop again today. Things were still very quiet with one Grasshopper Warbler up the headland, no sign of the Turtle Dove, the second-year Iceland Gull below flew into the harbour at about 15.00 and landed on the rocks just over the harbour wall and stayed resting for a short while. Other birds of note on the headland were two House Martins, one Wheatear, two Chough, 14 Rock Doves and about five Sedge Warblers. At the Bridges of Ross there were at least 2,000 Manx Shearwaters and one Puffin, all flying south west against the wind.

Other bits of interest were; two Wall Brown Butterflies, one Speckled Wood, one Common Seal and two Hares.

The first Turtle Dove of the year arrived near Gibsons Garden this morning Saturday 14th May. This is only the second spring record of this species at Loop. Also at Loop today were one Whitethroat, one Willow Warbler, 15 Sedge Warblers, ten Collared Doves, 32 Rock Doves, ten Sand Martins, four Chough, one Raven, 2,500 Manx Shearwaters off the Bridges of Ross, two Puffins there also with four Whimbrel. Other species of note were large numbers of Gannets off the tip of the headland where within a feeding flock of 800 Kittiwakes.

Unfortunately there was more habitat destruction over the past few weeks on the headland with the loss of Willows at the bottom of Sides Garden near the drain at the pool in the harbour. Also along the track where the Heligoland Track was built in 1987, this track was completely cleared out with a hymac machine and the old frame of the trap wiped out as well.